NBA Rumors

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1. Josh Howard, Washington (interested: Bulls, Celtics, Wizards) – Had he entered free agency last summer as opposed to this summer, Howard would have been in the discussion for one of the lucrative contracts in the off-season.  As it stands Howard is coming off a knee injury with lingering questions about his health and attitude.  Now 30 as of April, Howard’s days of using his athleticism to get to the basket may now be in jeopardy, which will have teams looking to low-ball him with offers.  Despite the concerns, Howard could be one of the bargains of the off-season, as he has more upside than any other remaining player in this free agent class.  If he can make a full recovery and get his head screwed on straight, Howard could be a steal for lucky team needing a swingman.
2. Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland (interested: Spurs, Hawks, Mavs) – There’s almost as good a chance LeBron will be named Northeast Ohio Man of the Year as there is Shaq will be wearing maroon and gold in October.  Expect his massive frame to be draped in other colors, as an aging center simply has no place in what’s sure to be a rebuilding process.  Shaq still has value to an NBA squad, providing size, interior defending and even some scoring in limited minutes off the bench, but the big fellow is likely to cost at least a team’s full mid-level exception.  Still, for the right team at the right price, the Big Aristotle could be a huge free agency haul. Read the rest of this entry »

If the past 2 weeks of conversation out in Vegas are to leave any indication of the NBA’s future, professional basketball fans across the country should have their seat belts fastened, table trays put away and seats returned to the upright and locked position.  Negotiations as the new Collective Bargaining Agreement approaches are sure to be turbulent with major delays (in actually regular season playing time no less) seemingly inevitable at this point.  Early figures released by commissioner David Stern’s office report that the league lost an estimated $370 million over the course of last season.  The players union disputes this figure, claiming the league’s figures could be off by as much as – get this –$370 million.  For those keeping track at home, that’s exactly 100% of the approximated total, meaning all negotiations will be more or less starting from scratch.  Though the NHL, MLB, NFL and NBA have experienced stoppages of play at the hands of financial disputes before, the disparities between contentions of the players and owners may have never been so bleak. Read the rest of this entry »

With John Wall entering the Capital City as arguably the most well known new resident not elected by the general populace, the Wizards one-time most celebrated player may soon be on his way out.  In order for Washington to ship out Gilbert Arenas, they’d have to find a suitor both willing to deal with his questionable decision making, high priced contract and recent injury history.  In other words, options are limited, but if Wizards’ brass believes there’s not enough space in their backcourt for a power struggle, or are worried about Agent Zero’s influence on the prized rookie, look for Arenas to be suiting up elsewhere or sitting at home come October.  Looking around the league, two teams seem desperate enough to take a chance on the troubled superstar… Read the rest of this entry »

NBA basketball in Las Vegas has historically been restricted to summer leagues, an  All-Star Game and the under-the-rug antics of players during the off-season, but this could all be mere side notes in the future if rumors that an NBA team may move to Sin City actually come to fruition.  Speculation that a team may relocate to the desert has sprung up on numerous occasions over the course of the past several decades, but considering the current state of the economy and claims owners lost as much as $370 million collectively last year make seemingly far-fetched proposals a lot more palatable.  Franchises around the country are fare from financially comfortable, some surrounding by struggling local economies and strapped for cash fan bases.  Any prospective owner with deep pockets warrants serious consideration, and where better a place to set up shop than a city built on greenbacks changing hands. Read the rest of this entry »

In what would’ve been a blockbuster deal in weeks before the 2005 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers are in negotiations to swap swingman Marvin Williams in a sign and trade for longtime center Shaquille O’Neal.  With LeBron James’ public spurning barely in the rear view mirror, executives around the league expect the Cavs to enter into rebuilding mode, a tough sell to fans just a year after pacing the league with 61 regular seasons wins.  With the big name free agent market drying up in the days just before and after James’ big announcement, Cleveland now faces limited options, even if they were willing to spend big bucks and/or flirt with the luxury tax. Read the rest of this entry »